Injuries rob All-Star match of key players
Injuries and unavailability will rob both senior teams of key players in the feature match of tomorrow's All-Star Classic at Somerset.
Top defender Kentoine Jennings has been sidelined with a knee injury and is extremely doubtful for the West while Enwar Hunt is also questionable because of an ankle injury.
However, while he is facing a one match suspension after being sent off on Thursday night in the FA Cup, goalkeeper Dwayne (Streaker) Adams has been cleared to play as have all players who would normally have been banned because of three cautions.
Shannon Burgess of Devonshire Colts is overseas and will miss the match while Corey Hill of Vasco is also ruled out as he is now concentrating on cricket with the Bermuda national team. Hill missed Vasco's last two matches in the FA Cup against Wolves.
Sammy Swan, who is listed in the West squad, is another casualty because of an injury that has kept him out of recent Vasco matches. New inclusions in the West squad are Somerset's Shawn Riley and Musceo Hunt and Rohan Simons of Southampton Rangers.
Coming into the East squad are defenders Diallo Sharrieff and Wayne Augustus of Hotels and Dean Bailey of St. George's.
One of the interesting match-ups will be between the front lines with Ascento Russell lining up alongside Darron Simons and Irving Burgess for the West and Dwight Warren, Ellington Weldon and Phillip Clarke leading the East attack.
The East look to have the edge in midfield where they have Mark Ray, Jahmah Samuels, Nakia Smith, Kevin Jennings and Wali Salaam while the West counter with Otis Steede, Shawn Smith, Raynel Lightbourne and Kurt Martin, who was recently sidelined with an arm injury.
In all, three matches are scheduled, starting with the Premier (Under 21) match at noon and the women's All-Stars at 2.00.
Coaches from American colleges and universities, including two women, came to the Island for last night's secondary schools All-Star match, which was put back to tonight because of the weather, and will stay on to scout other talent tomorrow.
Another coach on hand will be Bermuda's Clyde Best who has a number of squad players involved in the main match.
One of the features of the day will the challenge being extended to five randomly selected spectators to try to win a brand new car. To do so they must kick the ball from the half-way line into a goal three-feet-by-three-feet about 50 yards away. Each fan will get one chance.
The sponsors for the event include Colonial Insurance, Shell Company, The Royal Gazette and Coca Cola, while Senator Lynda Milligan Whyte will sponsor the women's match.
